Dispensing cap for containers



Nov. 25, 1941. R. E. SALVESEN DISPEN SING CAP FOR CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 18, 1959 Patented Nov. 25, 1941 is'rATas rare @FFECE 3 Claims.

is ornamental in appearance and at the same time provided with a liquid dispensing orifice having a slight protuberance and a valve arrangement for closing the orifice, and so arranged that a slight pressure applied to the end of the cap when the bottle or container is in an inverted position, will elect a small quantity of liquid therefore, and further so arranged that by depressing the end of the cap pressure will be applied inside of the container to eject the fluid under slight pressure, and so arrangedthat air will be admitted through said orifice to take the place of the liquid delivered therefrom.

More specifically, it is the object of my invention to provide a dispensing cap formed of elastic material, such as rubber, which may be cast or molded in a single piece having a discharge opening and a portion for closing said opening when in its normal position and as applied to the neck of a bottle, and in connection therewith an improved method of forming the dispenser wherein it may be easily molded and shaped.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved dispensing cap showing the same applied to the.

upper end of a bottle;

Figure 2 is a vertical central sectional view of the same;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the cap as molded and turned wrong side out from its working condition;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 illustrates a cap, as shown in Fig. 2. and the bottle to which it is applied in an inclined inverted position, and the manner in which pressure is applied thereto for ejecting fluid therefrom;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 illustrates a vertical sectional view of a modified form of cap embodying my invention, and as molded;

ure '7 with the cap being turned wrong side out in its normal working condition;

Figure 9 is a sectional view of another modified form of myinvention. v

My improved cap comprises a body to, which is preferably molded of rubber, said body being substantially of cylindrical formation and having the form of a cylindrical shell, having one edge provided with a bead H and the other end closed to form the head portion t2, the upper end of the head portion l2 having a disc-like portion D3 which is provided with a diametrical slit M of about the same depth as the thickness of the disc portion. The inner surface of the head His, provided with an inwardly projecting protuberance i5 having a passage 66 extending from the inner end of such protuberance to a point terminating in the bottom of the slit id, as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 4. The slit i4 and the passage it may be formed therein at the time the body is molded, or the slit id may be formed after the cap has been removed from the mold, by simply cutting the member l3 with a sharp instrument such as a knife. At any rate, the inner faces of the slit it should normally rest close together."

In the actual application of the cap to the neck i5 of a bottle I? the body it is turned inside out and then applied to the neck of the bottle in the manner as illustrated in Figure 2. This then leaves the disc portion i 3 within the cap and in such a manner that as it is folded within Figure 8 is taken on the same section as Figthe cap the faces of the slit N are tightly pressed together by the mere act of turning the body inside out, so that the passage i6 is tightly sealed against fluid or liquid leaving the bottle. The rib, ll, of course, is designed to enter the grooved portion l8 in the bottle neck in the manner as clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

When it is desired to discharge liquid from the bottle the bottle is tipped to an inclined position, as illustrated in Figure 5, the operator then places one finger on the dome or head portion of the cap and depresses it inwardly, as clearly illustrated. This then causes the segmental portions of the disc to be bent, as illustrated in Figure 2, and at'the same time to be separated, as illustrated in Figure 6, so that a V-shaped groove I9 is formed between the faces of the slit M to permit fluid to be discharged freely from the passage 56. The inward movement of a portion of the dome or head of the cap will cause pressure to be created inside of the bottle or container by reducing its internal volume which assists in the discharge of the fluid. The bottle sure created inside of the bottle will tend to press one of the segmental discs against the other and to more firmly close the same.

In Figures 7 and 8 I- have disclosed a slightly modified form wherein a cylindrical portion is formed on the upper end of the head l2 and wherein a slit 20a is formed tending to sever a portion of the member 20 from the said head in a plane parallel with the end of'said head, so that the severed portion 2| may serve as a valve to close the outer end of the passage 22. This form is also designed to be formed inside out and then to be reversed when actually applied to the bottle. This reversal also tends to force the valve portion 2| against the seat or head portion l2,

In Figure 9 I have illustrated another modified form in which the head I2 is provided with an upwardly extending portion 23, one side of the head l2 being provided with a passage 24 having its inner end connecting with the inner face of the head l2. A valve is then provided which is adapted to fit the inner face of the head l2, and provided with a neck portion 28 extending through the member 23 and having a bead 21 at its outer end for retaining the neck in the member 23. In this form the member 23 is provided with a passage 28 which is molded therein at the time the head is molded, the valve in the neck portion then being inserted by simply placing the bead 21 into the inner end of the passage 28 and then forcing the bead outwardly through said passage so as to cause the said neck portion to assume position therein and the valve 25 to be seated against the inner face of the head l2. By forming the neck portion 26 slightly shorter than the passage 28 it will be seen that the valve will be caused to fit snugly against the inner face of the head 12 so as to seal the inner end of the passage 24. The valve 25 may be unseated a slight distance by simply pressing inwardly on the outer end of the member 21, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 9.

Thus it will be seen I have provided a dispensing cap which is very ornamental in its general appearance, which may be easily and quickly attached to bottles having standard necks, which is very cheap in its manufacture and at the same time very efiicient in its operation.

I claim as my invention:

1. A dispensing cap, comprising a cup-shaped bochr formed of elastic material having an outwardly protruding portion on the outer surface of its end, a passage from the inner face of said end and terminating in a slit formed in the outer extending portion of said end, said body thus formed being shaped to be turned inside out with its open end embracing the open end of a container and with said outwardly extending portions supported inside of the body and above the open end of said container wherein the sliced portion of the body will be placed under compression to close said slit due to the compression of. material due to the reversal of said body, and whereby the inner end of said passage will be opened by distorting the end of said body inwardly.

2. A dispensing cap, comprising a cup-shaped body formed of elastic material, having a cylindrical and-outwardly protruding portion on the outer surface of its end, said cylindrical portion having a slit adjacent to the outer end of said cup and transversely of said cylindrical portion and formed part way through said cylindrical portion, a passageconnecting the inner surface of said cup and the said slit, said body thus formed being adapted to be-turned -inside out with its open end embracing the open end of a container with said cylindrical portion extending inwardly and within said cup above the open end of said container, wherein reversal of said body will place the inner surface of said cup and said slitted portion under compression for closing said slit.

3. A dispensingcap, comprising a body formed of elastic material having one end closed, the inner surface of the walls of said body being of considerably less diameter than the outer surfaces of said walls, the outer surface of the end of said body having a transverse slit and a passage connecting said slit with the inner surface of said end, said body thus formed being adapted to be turned inside out with its open end embracing the open end of a container with the outer surface of said end inside of said body and outwardly beyond the open end of said container, wherein the reverse position of the inner and outer surfaces of the walls of said body will cause said inner surface to be stretched and compression force applied to said outer surface and the end portion thereof, wherein said slit will be closed under pressure against outward flow of a fluid within said container.

RICHARD E. SALVESEN. 

